The next few days may determine the extent of Bobby Hurley's recovery from a car accident that left him lying in a roadside ditch and requiring eight hours of surgery.
"The feeling is that over the next few days events may occur that could either result in dramatic improvements or he could have complications that necessitate further surgery or treatments," Dr. Richard Marder said Monday.On Sunday night, a light truck driven by the 22-year-old rookie for the Sacramento Kings was struck by a station wagon near Arco Arena following a game with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Hurley was not wearing a seat belt and was tossed into a drainage ditch, police said. He sustained lung injuries, several broken ribs, a slight compression fracture in the back and wrist and knee injuries and was listed in serious condition at the University of California Medical Center.
Marder and Dr. James Castles said Hurley was showing signs of improving, but they added they will be watching for complications over the next four or five days.
"Basically the problem comes with ventilating the lungs," Marder said. "After a serious injury there is fluid that accumulates in the lungs sometimes, and it can be very difficult to ventilate a patient."
He said it was too early to speculate if Hurley would be able to play basketball again.
The driver of the other vehicle, Dan Wieland, 37, of Sacramento, was in fair condition with a broken leg, police and hospital officials said.
Police Detective Chuck Barham said officers were still trying to determine whether to file charges in connection with the collision.
He said Wieland was driving without headlights and with an expired license. Both are infractions, as is Hurley's failure to wear a seat belt.
Barham said officers were awaiting blood test results to determine if alcohol or drugs were involved in the crash. He said officers don't believe alcohol or speeding was involved.
"We don't think speed was the factor," Barham said. "From what we can tell, he (Wieland) wasn't doing a whole lot in excess of 55 (the speed limit)," Barham said.
Hurley, who set the NCAA record for career assists, has been averaging 7.1 points and 6.1 assists this season as the Kings' starting point guard. On Sunday, Hurley had seven assists but was 0-for-5 from the field in 19 minutes.
The Jersey City, N.J., native played on Duke's championship teams of 1991 and 1992.
Hurley's injuries were the latest in a string of tragedies to strike the NBA this year.
In June, Drazen Petrovic, a national hero in Croatia and budding star for the New Jersey Nets, was killed in a car crash on a rain-slick German highway. Seven weeks later, Boston Celtics captain Reggie Lewis suffered a fatal heart attack while shooting baskets at the Brandeis University gym.